to think that this was a really crappy way to reduce school absenteeism?

[itsmeolord]

DD aged 9 came home from the childminders yesterday very upset.
There had been an assembly held in school headed by a lady from the LEA. She called the assembly "Lazy or poorly?"

She gave a talk on absenteeism and told the children that they were going to hand out fines to parents from now on for children being off school. (£50).
She then read out some names and called the children to the front, these children had 100% attendence this year and she told them they were going to get a treat.
Then she called out some more names including dd's. They were called to the front and asked to explain why they had missed school. After each explanation the woman asked the rest of the children to put hands up for "lazy" or "poorly".
DD said that she had missed a week because she had had german measles, she then burst into tears. Apparently quite a few of the other children were in tears as well.
Alot of children were putting hands up for "lazy", I think this is because they haven't got a concept of what is a good reason for absence or not and it wasn't properly explained.
The lady was counting hands up but not then saying, ok so we have x who think this is lazy , it is/isn't because x y z.
So dd was labelled as "lazy"
At the ned the lady then said something to the effect of "all children who were lazy this term are going to have to find a way to pay back mum and dad that £50...."

I'm really cross with this lady and the head as well for thinking this was a good way to deal with absence.

1. The school has very low unauthorised attendance.
2. There are a fair few children who have medical conditions which require regular time off school and will never get 100% attendance.
3. If there is am issue why not speak to the parents rather than make an example of children in front of their peers?

1. "Lazy or poorly" is a really shitty way to talkm about absence. People are absent for different reasons, bereavement, pre bereavement, family illness, whatever.

Surely there is a better way to differentiate between authorised and unauthorised.

Any ideas on what to do next would be gratefully received. I am thinking speaking to the head firts to clarify exactly what happened is best......

because it's not actually an achievement, just the luck of the draw, like having blonde hair not dark? (Suspect those rare children who never get ill will be sickly adults taking lots of time off work for all the diseases they haven't developed immunity to, e.g. chickenpox, flu, D&V, etc. etc. etc.)

On the one hand, I can see why the schools have a target of 100%. On the other hand, given that some children are immune compromised, how sensible is it to encourage children to come in even when they may be carrying infectious diseases.

If a child knows he is in line for a wonderful treat if he goes in every day, how easy will it be to persuade him (or his Mum) to stay at home on Monday morning just because he threw up three times on Sunday?

What will happen of course is that child A will get his nice reward and child B may get a visit from the EWO because he caught A's bug and took it badly.

I don't think this is way off topic as it underpins the insensitive assembly. I am glad to hear individual families are tackled but I do take issue with the idea that we should celebrate an effective immune system. Why not celebrate the gift of beauty too?

Attendance is not a competition nor should it be.

You say - ?why should the same sentiment not be applied to those who attend every day?? Because it has nothing to do with behavior and often is something outside an individual?s control.

Exactly Cory.

Going on a bit of a tangent here but according to the Lamb Enquiry 42% of primary and 47% of secondary persistent absentees have SEN. So neither lazy or poorly but perhaps ignored by the system.

Yeah, why not have assemblies in the form of beauty contests? Dd might finally be in with a chance.

As for those who claim that assemblies for celebrating attendance are the same thing as celebrating academic achievement: when did a local authority figure turn up to give your academic child 50 quid for being clever at maths or good at her spellings? Never happened in any school I have ever come across. Assemblies ime do not celebrate either academic effort or academic achievement. They celebrate attendance. And occasionally prowess at sports. Full stop. This is why they get on a lot of people's nerves: they are not another addition to celebrating learning, learning or hard work simply doesn't get celebrated in this way.

I am sure my dcs would have been delighted to learn their time tables or get all their spellings right against promises of special treats or lottery tickets, but schools just don't do that.

Cory and Drosophila, I'm talking about a sticker for 100% attendance in a week, not a 'special treat or lottery ticket'! In this particular school stickers are given out for all sorts of things (albeit not for being blonde/looks) and are done in class, by the class teacher so it's not the same as a massive assembly and, chances are that at some point every child will manage to attend school for the entire week so they too will get an attendance sticker.

The assembly that the OP posted about was insensitive and unhelpful, I was talking about other ways that schools go about encouraging good attendance.

Should also add that children receive headteacher's awards (a metallic sticker) for effort/particularly impressive piece of work/amazing spelling score/improvement in work or attitude/moving up a level in something etc. etc. and these children are stood up in a whole school assembly and applauded so hard work and academic achievement or progress is being rewarded in this school. If your children's schools only reward 100% attendance but take no notice of anything else then I'm not surprised you are frustrated; take it up with the governing body.

Your school sounds great SE13Mummy and if all schools were like this we wouldn't have a problem.

But it is a fact that, though the level of insensitivity recorded by the OP is indeed pretty rare, it is very common for attendance to be singled out for mention in assembly in a way that never happens to mere academic achievers; it is common for attendance stickers to be transferred into treats or trips or lottery tickets- again, this doesn't happen with rewards for hard work.

Dd has never been exposed to anything as crass as the OP incident. But she has still had to sit through assembly after assembly where children with 100% attendance have been singled out for praise- quite regardless of whether they've actually ever done any work. Dd who has worked hard (sometimes in enormous pain) and had excellent results has never been praised in assembly. Not once. Assemblies or talks from headteachers on the subject of attendance don't tend to mention that if you have a problem you can't help, then you're as good as the children without a problem. If that had been said once in dd's hearing, that would have made a difference.

When ds was due a reward for attendance, I told him I did not wish him to accept it as he hasn't done anything his sister hasn't. He lost nerve and took it. A year later he was diagnosed with the same crippling disorder. His first reaction was to worry that they would be angry with him, as he is obviously not as good as he was when he was praised in assembly.

I wouldn't have a problem if the children were only given the usual stickers that you can also get for hard work and good behavior; that would be great. But every school I know of, even the very good ones, has a separate system for rewarding attendance; it is a more public system and carries greater rewards.

Your school sounds wonderful.

Basically, the usual awards system is tied to the teacher; the attendance rewards are done in more close cooperation with the LEA, so the schools feel under more pressure.

Have only read the OP but that is dreadful!

We had a similar situation a few years ago at the dds' primary school (in fact, I posted on MN about it). The pupils were divided into houses, with competitions etc each week. The teacher made all the pupils in the 'losing' house stand up and got the rest of the class to chant 'work harder' at them. Just awful.

Hope the meeting goes well on Thursday. I think the head and the LA have some serious explaining to do.

My DS's primary school give out a certificate if you manage a whole term with 100% attendance. DS1 has managed this is every term (from YR to the end of Y2) except last term (when he had to have 2 weeks off due to sustaining a severe concussion after being knocked out in the school playground). However, DS2 is SEN and has LOTS of different medical appointments/illnesses and is immune compromised due to his medications. He has never made a whole term with 100% attendance. He DID get through the first half term of this year (Y1 for him) with 100%, but due to two chest infections in 5 weeks, had a total of 3 weeks off last half term, meaning that despite his 'effort' (luck) during the first half term, he will not be rewarded with his certificate and toy in assembly. Probably never will. And this half term he wont either, as he has all his 6 monthly meical appointments between now and the end of Feb, meaning he won't get one for this term either, as the school say I should take him to all 7 of his different specialist appointments outside school hours. (Like the NHS give me a choice on appointment times??!!) (And I don't have to travel from North Essex to London and Cambridge for some of them. By train. As I'm disabled myself and am unable to drive due to my disability??!!) . This is one subject that REALLY pisses me off annoys me.

Cory, I think the school I was talking about is wonderful too but sadly Ofsted don't think so and gave them a 'notice to improve'

I'm sorry to hear about your children's condition but even more sorry to hear that the school do nothing to reward the children for working their socks off, triumphing over adversity and making an effort with their learning. I don't know of any schools round here that make more of a thing of attendance than they do of academic achievement/effort. My own DD's school includes the first names of every child (usually one per class per week but sometimes extras get nominated) who has been awarded an achievement certificate. Attendance is mentioned occasionally, that's it. The achievement certificates are given for all sorts; trying hard, getting better at doing a forward roll, building a brilliant snowman, doing some really tricky maths, being polite to visitors, helping a younger pupil and the list goes on.

It does sound as though your school needs to re-think their rewards/sanctions policy.

I can't believe the school staff didn't put a stop to it when they saw how it was going! Absolutely unbelievable and unacceptable. Complain until you're blue in the face! I'd be screaming that not only was the crazy bat completely out of order, but that nothing was done to stop her.

Makes you wonder about Ofsted, doesn't it? The awards system you describe sounds like that of dcs infants school: once they got to junior school, it was totally different. I suppose it can be a bit hard to reward great big 11yo for speaking nicely to the teacher, but if attendance is all you get rewarded for, it does seem a bit meagre.

I think the main problem is the big split between internal rewards = achievements, and rewards done in conjunction with the LEA.

Plus the fact that dcs's headteacher was desperate for the school to get an Outstanding at the next Ofsted, and attendance was one thing he needed to improve. (his most desperate attempt to improve statistics was to suggest that we should take dd out and put her in a special school; dd is G&T; the only special schools around here cater for children with severe learning difficulties).

School has improved since his departure, but there is still the same emphasis on attendance assemblies.

Good grief

Do let us know what the head as to say about it all.

Mind boggling behaviour.

The OP's meeting with the Head is today, if I recall correctly. I too will be very interested to see how they can even attempt to justify such an approach!

Me too. I've been following this since Tuesday. Hope it all goes well itsme!

Just marking my spot so that I can be nosey see what happens later.

Good luck itsme, don't back down. We are all there in spirit with you!

How did it go OP?

AnnieLobeseder that was what I was thinking, I hope that in my school this never happens but if it did that we as staff would step in and stop it!

Blimey how awful. i thought it was bad enough that the dds school have an achievement assembly where all the children with 100% attendence come to the front and get a certificate - which dd has never managed yet - but this is just bonkers!

Annie is so right. Any right thinking head would have got up on his hind legs and said 'Excuse me, mrs LA person but I really cannot have this in my school; there are very good reasons why some of these children should not be subjected to this and we are laying ourselves open to some potentially very serious trouble. Please come to my office and have a cup of coffee while mrs Warble sings a few songs with the children.'

Another 'marking my spot' post - interested to see how the head wriggles out of this one!